biography


Biography of John Sherrill Houser, Painter/Sculptor

May 2008 Early years John Sherrill Houser was born in South Dakota where his father, Ivan Houser, was assistant sculptor to Gutzon Borglum during the early years of carving Mt. Rushmore. His parents encouraged his natural aptitude for drawing from childhood. When he was five his family moved to Portland, Oregon where his father continued his career and eventually became a professor of art at Lewis and Clark College. Studies Following graduation from Lewis and Clark College (Portland, OR) John was awarded an alumni fellowship for graduate art studies at UCLA. He also attended classes at Art Center College of Design, (Los Angeles, CA). Houser later received the Elizabeth T. Greenshields Award for independent European studies. In Italy he was influenced through personal association with the Florentine painter, Pietro Annigoni. He also assisted the American sculptor, Dr. Avard Fairbanks, in Pietra Santa, with the enlarging of the Pony Express monument for Nevada. Following his return to the United States he later worked in the studio of the Classicist painter, R.H. Ives Gammel in Boston where he also did anatomical dissection at Harvard Medical School. Art Travels John has traveled extensively in Europe, Morocco, Mexico, Ecuador and the United States. Dedicated to interpreting the human condition through direct experience, he has lived and worked for extended periods among such diverse groups as the mountain people of Appalachia, the Gullah Blacks of South Carolina, Italian street fakirs (faquiri), hippies of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury (1960’s), Mexican and Black migrant laborers, American gypsies and Native Americans (Taos Pueblo, Tonto Apaches, Eastern Cherokee, Yaqui and Tohono O'odham (Papago). In Mexico the artist has also lived and worked among the Seri Indians on the Sonoran Gulf Coast, the Tarahumara Indians of the Copper Canyon (Chihuahua MX) and the Lacandón Indians of Lacanjá in the jungle of Chiapas (southern Mexico). In Ecuador he chartered a plane to live among the Shuar Indians (Jivaro) of the Upper Amazon. Publications and Videos His work has been featured in many publications including The Connoisseur; New York Times; USA Today; London Sunday Telegraph; American Artist; Artist's Magazine; Southwest Art; Art Talk, National Sculpture Society Bulletin, Der Spiegel (German news weekly); Blanco y Negro (Spanish news weekly); CNN Television News (Spanish/English); Reuters, The Houston Chronicle; ABC, (Spain); Siémpre, (Mexican news weekly), Equine Images Magazine and The Independent (London). The artist was interviewed by PBS for Mt. Rushmore, The American Experience PBS Series, and is featured in PBS documentary, The Last Conquistador. (See following) PBS Documentary, The Last Conquistador Houser is the featured sculptor of an hour-long PBS documentary, The Last Conquistador, by acclaimed filmmakers John Valadez and Cristina Ybarra (website). This film documents the artist’s decade long struggle to create The world’s largest equestrian Bronze for El Paso, Texas as well as the political controversy raised around its subject, Colonizer Don Juan de Oñate – XII Travelers icon for the Spanish colonial period of Southwest history, 1598 -- 1680 (one of twelve such periods spotlighted by the XII Travelers Memorial of the Southwest in a sculpture walk across 375-years of history at The Pass of the North). In deference to Native American sensitivities El Paso city council officially changed the name of the monument to The Equestrian. The Last Conquistador raises important questions about the recognition of history vis-a-vis minority sensitivities, the logical boundaries of political correctness and the limits of artistic censorship. This thoughtful and provocative film, which includes the enlarging, casting and installation of the monument, will be aired nationally by PBS on POVTV, July 15th, 2008. Awards and Exhibitions Houser has received prestigious national awards and participated in numerous exhibitions including The National Academy of Western Art; The National Sculpture Society, the Forest Hills Sculpture Exhibition Boston, MA; The Western Heritage Show (Houston, TX); Salamagundi Club’s Open Photography/sculpture Exhibition (NY, NY) (Martin Lumen Winter Award,); American Artists Professional League, (NY, NY) (Council of American Artists’ Societies Award);the Santa Fe Museum of Fine Art, (Santa Fe, NM) “Sculpture of New Mexico Exhibition”; Forest Hills "Art of the Spirit" Sculpture Exhibition, Boston MA (The colossal bronze bust, "The Franciscan Spirit," was purchased for the permanent outdoor collection); Buffalo, New York Contemporary Sculpture Exhibit, 2001-2002” "The Franciscan Spirit" (Buffalo, NY) and the Mountain Oyster Contemporary Western Art Exhibition, (Tucson, AZ). John’s paintings were exhibited with the work of British transplant surgeon/artist Sir Roy Calne in a year-long national touring exhibition, "The Gift of Life," 1992, sponsored by Sandoz (Novartis) Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Public and Private Collections John’s work is found in many public collections including The U.S. Library of Congress (Wash. D.C.), The Southwest Museum (Los Angeles, CA), Portland Museum of Fine Art (Portland OR), Lewis and Clark College (Portland, OR), The Arizona State Museum (Tucson, AZ), The Greenshields Museum (Montreal, Canada), the Museum of the University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), city of Veracruz (Veracruz, MX), Forest Hills sculpture garden (Boston MA), U.T.E.P.(El Paso, TX), the El Paso International Airport and the city of El Paso, Texas, and numerous private collections. Portraits Houser proficiency and sensitivity in portraiture has been widely recognized. John has modeled busts of many notable personalities including a colossal bust of Lic. Gutierrez Barrios, Presidente de la Gobernación, (Vice-President) of the Republic of Mexico; Robert E. and Evelyn McKee, (Mckee Construction Co.) philanthropists and civic leaders of El Paso, Texas; Sir Francis Crick, Nobel Laureate and co-discoverer (with James Watson) of the DNA structure; Maestro Abraham Chávez (Conductor, El Paso Symphony); José Cisneros (renowned artist/historical illustrator); Tom Lea (internationally known Texas artist and author; Lic. Jaime Bermudez, founder of the maquila movement, Mexico; Dr. Ricardo Sánchez, Ph.D., Chicano Poet and Bishop Alfonso Gallegos (First Hispanic Bishop of Northern California) and others. The XII Travelers Memorial of the Southwest Mr. Houser is the originator and sculptor of “The XII Travelers Memorial of the Southwest Inc”, a large-scale, educational sculpture walk through 375-years at The Pass of the North (El Paso, Texas). The XII Travelers commemorates the history of the Southwest in a series of monumental bronzes of prominent historical figures conceived as chapter headings or icons for twelve historical periods from 1535 to 1910. The first two monuments, The Building of the Missions 1659 – 1680 and The Spanish Settlement of the Southwest, AKA The Equestrian, are installed in El Paso Texas. Two other XII Travelers monuments are now in progress. Fundraising and promotion for project development is conducted by The XII Travelers Executive Board, a non-profit volunteer organization. (Contact information below) Colossal heads and project related art Bronze casts of the colossal heads from monuments and other XII Travelers related art are currently available for sale as separate works of art (tax deductible). Enquiries can be made through the artist (see below) or the XII Travelers: (Contact 12travelers@sbcglobal.net). New Project: The artist is now developing the maquette for a 250’ colossus of a Puchteca (pre-Columbrian trader) to be placed along the US/Mexico border. See website for up-dates. Professional affiliations: Houser is a Professional member” of the National Sculpture Society and the American National Portrait Society. He maintains his studio in Santa Fe, NM. Contact info John Sherrill Houser, Painter/Sculptor Address: 1600 Lena St, Studio D-1, Santa Fe, NM 87505. TEL 505/982-9077, CELL 505/ 730-829 Email: jsartist@msn.com Website:WWW. johnsherrillhouser.com/ XII Travelers Memorial of the Southwest, Inc. Non-profit organization for Project Promotion and Fundraising Website: www.12travelers.org XII Travelers Gallery & Office, 303 Texas Avenue, 4th Floor (Suite 400), El Paso, Texas 79901. P.O. Box 220243, El Paso, Texas 79913 Telephone (915) 533-6448; FAX (915) 533-3131; Email: 12travelers@sbcglobal.net